Saudi Steps Up MERS Awareness Efforts as New Cases Escalate

Camels are increasingly being seen as the primary source of the MERS coronavirus infecting humans.

Reuters

Saudi Arabia said on Saturday that two people died of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, increasing to 112 the number of deaths since the disease was identified in the kingdom in September 2012. Health authorities also reported 15 new cases of the mysterious disease, bringing the country’s total confirmed instances to 411.

As the kingdom is stepping up its efforts to raise awareness about the disease since a new acting health minister was appointed last month, more attention is being focused on camels which are increasingly being seen as the primary source of the MERS coronavirus infecting humans.

Minister Adel M. Fakieh urged Saudis to avoid direct contact with camels and take precautions when dealing with sickened animals. He also warned against consuming raw camel milk and meat.

Local media reported on Sunday that the municipality in Jeddah, where a majority of the cases have been reported in April, has removed more than 500 suburban stables of livestock and sprayed their locations. A camel trader in neighboring Mecca told a newspaper that total sales in the market have gone down from 1.9 million Saudi riyals ($520,000) to only SAR400,000 over the last month.

Last week the United States reported its first case of MERS in a healthcare worker who traveled from Saudi Arabia. Officials in the state of Indiana said Saturday that the patient who remains hospitalized is in good condition and “improving each day.”

The U.S. has become the latest country to report the disease that has spread to Malaysia, the Philippines, Greece, Yemen and Egypt. All cases were connected to travelers from the Gulf.

Egypt’s Health Ministry on Friday issued a warning against children, elderly people and anyone suffering from chronic heart and chest diseases travelling to Saudi Arabia.

However, the World Health Organization still does not recommend applying any travel or trade restrictions to deal with MERS. A team of experts from WHO arrived in Jeddah to assist Saudi health authorities investigate the recent increase in number of people infected, the organization said on Friday.

The team was to focus on studying how the virus gets transmitted in the city’s main hospitals, as healthcare workers have been hit hardest by the disease.

WHO team leader Dr. Jaouad Mahjour said “the systematic application of basic infection prevention and control measures in health facilities is key to limiting transmission and protecting health-care workers and other patients,” according to the organization’s website.